Hot dog causes near death experience, officer saves woman

This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

Courtesy: Getty Images

Hot dog causes near death experience, officer saves woman

Courtesy: Getty Images

KALAMAZOO, Mich.— A Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety officer came to the rescue of a woman who was choking in her car. Saturday morning, Officer Jason Gates initiated a traffic stop in the 4100 block of S. Burdick St. As he approached the vehicle, he found the female driver was in respiratory distress. Officer Gates asked the driver if she we was alright, but quickly realized she was unable to breathe. Then the officer administered a couple of back blows in an attempt to dislodge the unknown item in the woman’s throat. The back blows did not work, so Officer Gates removed the woman from the driver’s seat of the vehicle. He then used the Heimlich maneuver to dislodge the hot dog from the woman’s throat. The woman immediately began crying and threw herself into Officer Gates’ arms, thanking him for saving her life.

4 comments

White light fever

So, Where did the “near death experience” come from? Was she passed out? Did she see a white light? What?
I am happy to hear that the obstruction was cleared- So far from reading this article, It was a choking incident- nothing more… In fact your article is very vague and does not even say if she is okay now—

Marla

Have you ever choked on something before? Truly choked…not just something “going down the wrong pipe” and having a coughing fit. It is VERY scary. Just a few weeks ago I choked on a Mento. It got lodged in my throat; I could draw in air, but very very little, and could not talk or yell. No one was nearby in my office; as I realized that I started to panic more as I could not cough it out, and worried it would lodge itself even further down in my throat as I tried to suck in air. Every time I’d breathe in I’d make this horrible wheezing noise. As I was heading to the other end of the office, luckily it finally disloged on its own but I was truly starting to freak out and my hands were very shaky for quite a while afterwards. I can’t imagine driving alone in a car and this happening!

White light fever

I did not say she did not choke! So just simmer down!
I do not doubt it was frightening….However, People have choked before and it has NOT been a “near death experience”- So, that was my question, Where did the exaggerated near death experience headline come from?
All the article said was that she “choked” and a police officer saved her!